Global Warming Could Kill Off World's Smallest Kangaroo

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There's a new pint-size reason to save the rainforest: A recent
study found that the tiniest kangaroo species on Earth — the
musky rat-kangaroo — can only survive in tropical rainforests,
which face threats posed by global warming, scientists say.

Therefore,
climate change could be threatening the musky rat-kangaroo's
very existence, according to the study, conducted by researchers
at The University of Queensland and The University of New South
Wales in Australia.

"We must carefully monitor the tropical rainforest because, if
climate change does affect it, the musky rat-kangaroo, and
possibly other species, will have nowhere to go," study leader
Kenny Travouillon, a paleontologist at The University of
Queensland's School of Earth Sciences, said in a statement.
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Travouillon's conclusion about the tiny kangaroo is
based on new fossil evidence that suggests that, unlike some
other tropical-rainforest dwellers, the musky rat-kangaroo never
diversified into other environments, such as more temperate
rainforests.

The new fossils, which are among just two other
musky-rat-kangaroo fossil species ever discovered, indicate that
about 20 million years ago, multiple species of these
smallmarsupials existed. Today, however, there is only one
species of musky rat-kangaroo left, and a small tropical
rainforest in northeastern Queensland, Australia, is the one
place it calls home.

Travouillon said efforts should be made to save the musky
rat-kangaroo because it is a key player in maintaining its
tropical
ecosystem.

These tiny marsupials serve as seed dispensers; the fruit-eating
animals reintroduce seeds to the rainforest floor when they
defecate, the researchers said. Along with just one other species
— the large, flightless cassowary bird — the musky rat-kangaroo
fulfills all the seed-dispensing duties for its entire habitat.

"We need to carefully protect [the musky rat-kangaroo's] habitat,
because it is too specialized to be relocated elsewhere and is an
important contributor to its environment," Travouillon said.

The new musky rat-kangaroo fossil evidence could help scientists
come up with a plan for saving these indispensable, but
vulnerable, animals, Travouillon noted.

"Such finds help us better understand how animals and ecosystems
evolve through climatic change, allowing us to better predict
their responses to future climate change and protect the most
vulnerable species," Travouillon said.

While Travouillon said scientists aren't sure what impact climate
change may have on the musky rat-kangaroo's tropical rainforest
home, he cited an Australian Climate Council report that states
climate change could potentially have a major effect on such
ecosystems.

The detailed findings of the study were published online March 4
in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.